Improvement in plug-tobacco



IINITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

JOHN L. JONES, 0F GREENS-BOROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA.

IMPROVEMENTIN PLUG-TOBACCO.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 198,117, dated December11, 1877; application file September 11, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

ments in the manufacture of plug-tobacco,

and consists in plugs of tobacco inclosed and pressed in wrappers madeof paper, linen, or

other fibrous or textile fabric, colored in different shades, inimitation of tobacco-leaf, to

designate or distinguish different grades or orders of tobacco. y

In the manufacture of plug-tobacco it has heretofore been customary towrap the plug in a wrapper formed of the'natural leaf of the tobacco.This wrapper,in order to meet the requirements of the trade, hasnecessarily to be of a fine quality and good color, and is,

' consequently, very expensive, while by my invention is furnished asubstitute very much cheaper, the color of which may be controlled asdesired, and which is, in all respects, equally adapted to thepurpose-of a wrapper. Be-

sides, when wrapped in the usual way-that is, with a tobaccoleafwrapper-the lumps or rolls must be dried and packed away, excluded fromthe air, for some time before pressing, in order to secure aperfectorder of the tobacco but when wrapped according to my invention-that is,with a wrapper of paper, linen, or other fibrous or textile fabric-thelumps or rolls may be dried before wrapping, and subsequent dr'yin gdispensed with, as the temperature or condition of the atmosphere withrespect to moisture will have no effect upon a wrapper composed of suchmaterials. In carrying out my. invention I prefer to employ a strong,thin variety of paper for the wrapper, although muslin, linen, or otherfibrous or textile fabric may be employed with advantage. Upon the saidfabric I print or otherwise produce an imitation of the naturaltobacco-leaf, and I make the paper of various shades, each to imitate incolor and design, and to correspond in general appearance with, thewrapper of natural tobaccoleaf, which is ordinarily used for wrappingdifferent grades of tobacco.

The surface of the wrapper may, in addition to the imitation oftobacco-leaf, beprinted in other variegated colors or designs, ifdesired, without departing from the nature of my invention.

The fabric, as thus prepared, is preferably cut in strips of convenientwidth to be wrapped spirally around the plug previous 7 to the pressing,and secured thereon by said pressing, in the same manner as would be theordinary leaf -wrapper. If preferred, however, the wrapper may be gummedwith any innocuous gum or cement prior to the application of the saidwrapper, in order tomore firmly secure it to the plug.

By my invention I am enabled to designate different or particular gradesof tobacco by the different colors of my wrappers.

When a chew of tobacco is cut from the plug for use, the portion of thewrapper attached thereto can be readily stripped off and discarded, ifdesired. What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

, As a new article of manufacture, plugs of tobacco inclosed and pressedin wrappers of paper, linen, or other fibrous or textile fabric, coloredin imitation of tobacco-leaf, whereby different grades of tobacco aredistinguished by the color or appearance of the wrappers. 1

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand inthe presence of the subscribing witnesses.

JOHN L. JONES. Witnesses:

JAMES A. RUTHERFORD,

A. H. N oRRIs.

